After 28 years of running and racing dog teams, a Labrador City man has made the tough decision of deciding to retire.

Charlie Russell moved to Lab City from Port Hope Simpson three decades ago and decided to keep a dog team like his father and grandfather before him.

Russell raced his sled dogs for years, but says that keeping and caring for the dogs is 24/7 and it started to become too much. He’s kept and raced Siberian and Alaskan huskies but his favourite by far is the native Labrador husky.

He says the Labrador husky might not be as fast as the Alaskan husky, but the native animals have great endurance and can maintain a steady pace for an extended period.

Russell choked up when recounting his decision to give it up. Most of his dogs have gone to friends along the coast while a few ended up going up for adoption with the SPCA in St. John’s.